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Attack on AGO employees attempt to disrupt peace process: Khalilzad
Zalmay Khalilzad, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation condemned yesterday’s attack on Attorney General Office’s employees who were working “to facilitate prisoner releases.”
“This attack, carried out by enemies of peace, took the lives of five civilians. We offer our condolences,” Khalilzad said in a tweet.
Five employees of AGO were assassinated on Monday while they were on their way to Bagram prisoner. The US Peace Envoy insisted that the incident should be thoroughly investigated.
“We call for a full investigation to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” said Khalilzad adding that the attack meant to disrupt the Afghan peace process.
“This attack underscores what we all know: Spoilers (both domestic and foreign) are trying to disrupt and delay,” Khalilzad underscored.
(2/3) We call for a full investigation to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
This attack underscores what we all know: Spoilers (both domestic and foreign) are trying to disrupt and delay.
— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) June 22, 2020
So far, no group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban has also denied its involvement in the attack.
“Their (Taliban) denial of these events cannot absolve the group. There have been many other similar attacks on the country’s judges that were done by the Taliban, and the group should clarify this. Violence will have a negative effect on the peace process,” said the presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.
The Taliban said it is also investigating the case, adding that the laterals should be aware of the conspiracies of countless peace enemies.
“The assassination of prosecutors, in addition to contradicting international human rights documents, could damage the peace process in the current context,” said Naeem Nazari, a member of the Independent Human Rights Commission.
Meanwhile, some experts familiar with the Afghan peace process beliefs that targeted and complex assassinations have been increased following advances in the process.
“Until the Intra-Afghan talks begin, the war will be fiery and the people will be sacrificed. At the first meeting of the talks, a permanent ceasefire will be decided,” said Waliullah Shahin, a peace activist.
Khalilzad noted that the Afghan government and the Taliban should not be deterred, and push forward to take the steps necessary to reach intra-Afghan negotiations, “where a comprehensive ceasefire and a political settlement can be negotiated as quickly as possible. This is what the Afghan people want and we stand with them.”
Meanwhile, President Ghani in a statement condemned the attack, calling it a “terrorist attack” and a “crime against humanity and Islamic values.”
(3/5)رئیس جمهور غنی ضمن محکوم نمودن این جنایت، گفت: حمله بالای افراد ملکی و کارمندان دولتی، جنایت ضد بشری و ارزش های اسلامی بوده و تداوم خشونت ها از سوی دشمنان، تلاشی برای آسیب رسانیدن به پروسه صلح می باشد.
— ارگ (@ARG_AFG) June 23, 2020
“We expect that the coordination of the time and place of the talks will be finalized at the same time as the end of the prisoner exchange process and the reduction of violence,” said Najia Anwari, a spokeswoman for the government’s Ministry of Peace.
Earlier, a UN report showed that some senior Taliban members opposed to the peace process, in collusion with other groups, had formed a group to promote peace under the name of the Islamic State Party.
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Girls’ education is a ‘vital issue’ for Afghanistan: Karzai
Former president Hamid Karzai said in a meeting with Iran’s ambassador and special representative, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, that education of girls was a “vital issue” for Afghanistan.
Karzai said he appreciated Iran’s cooperation and its standing with the Afghan people, especially Iran’s contributions to education in Afghanistan.
During the meeting, Karzai said peace and stability in the region are in the interest of all regional countries.
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Uzbekistan’s humanitarian aid arrives in Balkh
A shipment of humanitarian aid from Uzbekistan was handed over on Thursday to the local officials of Balkh province in the trade port of Hairatan.
Local authorities said the aid, which includes flour, oil, wheat, sugar and meat, has been handed over by Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya governor to the governor of Balkh.
The governor of Surkhandarya stated the purpose of sending this aid was to support the people of Afghanistan and stressed the need for the development of good relations between the two countries.
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Afghanistan’s problems caused more damage to Pakistan than 3 wars with India: Durrani
Islamabad’s special envoy for Afghanistan Asif Durrani said on Wednesday that Pakistan has suffered more due to Afghanistan’s internal situation than Pakistan has suffered in three wars with India in terms of blood spilt and finances drained.
Durrani said at a one-day International Conference titled “Pakistan in the Emerging Geopolitical Landscape”, which was organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the German Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), that over 80,000 Pakistanis died in the two decades of the War on Terror and that his country was still counting its dead and injured.
“After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was hoped that peace in Afghanistan would bring peace to the region. However, such expectations were short-lived,” he said.
He also stated that attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group on Pakistan’s border areas increased by 65 percent, while suicide attacks increased by 500 percent.
“The TTP’s enhanced attacks on Pakistan while using Afghan soil have been a serious concern for Pakistan. Another worrying aspect is the participation of Afghan nationals in these attacks,” he said.
Durrani also said Pakistan had suffered geopolitically since the Soviet Union invaded the neighboring country.
“The post-9/11 world order has negatively impacted Pakistan. Apart from losing 80,000 citizens’ lives, including 8,000 law enforcement agency personnel, the country’s economic opportunity cost is estimated at $150 billion,” Durrani said.
Talking about the future outlook for Pakistan in the regional context, Durrani said that while “our eastern neighbor is likely to continue with its anti-Pakistan pursuits, the western border poses an avoidable irritant in the short to medium term.”
However, he said Pakistan can overcome its difficulties with Afghanistan, including the TTP challenge.
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